Atkinson House · Photo: Sanfranman59 · CC BY-SA 3.0Nights stay kind in Rutherford each January, milder than in 86% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 87°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 49°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 81% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly February 3 to December 4.
A year in Rutherford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rutherford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rutherford’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Rutherford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 306 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 3 and the first by December 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saint Helena, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rutherford’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 26°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 33 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 69 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Saint Helena, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Rutherford
72% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Saint Helena, CA.
Living with Rutherford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
306 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 3 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, June, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rutherford from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (46%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rutherford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rutherford yet.
Climates most like Rutherford’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford, CA | 39° | 87° | 33" | 0.0" |
| Green, OR | 37° | 86° | 32" | 0.0" |
| Port Lavaca, TX | 46° | 91° | 40" | 0.0" |
| Rock Hill, SC | 31° | 90° | 44" | 0.2" |
| Marvin, NC | 31° | 91° | 43" | 0.2" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Rutherford averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Rutherford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rutherford’s place among California’s.
Rutherford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rutherford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Saint Helena, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 39° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| February | 60° | 40° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| March | 65° | 42° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| April | 69° | 45° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| May | 75° | 49° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| June | 83° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 87° | 56° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 87° | 56° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 85° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| October | 77° | 49° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 57° | 38° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| Year | 72° | 47° | 33.3" | 0.0" | 69 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 69°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Rutherford’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Rutherford’s center.
- Snow: Saint Helena, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saint Helena, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Rutherford’s climate
What is the weather like in Rutherford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rutherford in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 14 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Rutherford get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Saint Helena, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Rutherford?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 56°. About 55 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Saint Helena, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Rutherford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 3 and the first fall frost by December 4, about 306 frost-free days, at Saint Helena, CA.
What growing zone is Rutherford in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rutherford?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, June, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rutherford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rutherford.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.